A sex worker called Cat said: “It’s outrageous to hold a meeting to discuss sex work and to specifically exclude sex workers and sex worker-led organisations.”

Ms Grant said: “The planned meeting is for those who support the principles of criminalising the purchase of sex and as SCOT-PEP have publicly stated their opposition to this, their inclusion wouldn’t be appropriate at this time.

After months of being closed, most of Dongguan’s entertainment venues are back open, with 1134 saunas, karaoke bars, and foot spas running. 1552 people have been punished so far. The Chinese government’s crackdown on sex workers in the southern city of Dongguan is ongoing.

…the study shows that decriminalisation of sex work would have the single greatest effect on the course of HIV epidemics across all settings studied, and could avert at least a third of HIV infections among sex workers and their clients in the next decade, through its immediate and sustained effect on violence, policing, and safer work environments.

The Sydney Morning Herald tut-tuts over the prospect of young jobseekers being turned off the dole after six months, speculating that they may turn to “crime or sex work,” the two being apparently comparably unfortunate despite prostitution being decriminalized in New South Wales.

After ten years as a stripper, Red quit with a bang, suing her longtime home club for sexual harassment, assault, and violating labor laws. Now a stay-at-home hooker and borderline dog hoarder, Red tries to balance running a street outreach project (strollpdx.org) with sex work and school to create a viable future outside the industry as an abortion provider and nurse practitioner working with low-income groups. Red loves dogs and hates men. Ask her about labor law any time you want!

3 COMMENTS

Why is decriminalization preferable to making prostitution legal???? That sounds confusing…. If it is legal then isn’t it decriminalised by default? My understanding is that decriminalizing doesn’t make it legal it’s just not considered a criminal offense. I find it odd that it’s somehow too far too have support for the legalization of prostitution.

The decriminalization model when it comes to prostitution means something different–as in New Zealand and parts of Australia, it just means that sex work is treated like any other business/profession. Whereas legalization often means sex workers are forced to live under hyperregulation–as in Nevada, where brothel employees aren’t allowed to leave the brothels during their 3 week shifts lest they be suspected of “soliciting” simply by virtue of being in the town, so that the brothels can squeeze them by charging them high prices for basic necessities like laundry, and they’re also forced to deal with a whole host of other ridiculous laws which exploit their labor and mainly benefit rich male brothel owners.